Conventional acoustic guitars typically have a hollow, resonant body with a round sound hole, a fretted neck projected longitudinally from one end of the body, and six or twelve strings running from the end, or top, of the neck to the opposite end of the body. The strings are fastened at the top of the neck with tuning machines, and to the body with a bridge mounted to the surface of the body, referred to as a sound board. In this manner, the strings span the sound hole, such that plucking the strings with one hand produces a resonant sound within the body cavity, while the player's other hand is used to stop the strings at the appropriate frets to produce the desired pitch for each string played. The same playing technique is entailed with an electric guitar, though these guitars differ from acoustic guitars by having a solid body with an electric pickup instead of a sound hole.
For one to excel at playing a guitar, mastery of two separate skills—plucking (also known as picking) the strings and fingering the neck—is necessary. However, each of these skills may require concentrated and independent practice directed specifically toward the particular skill. Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a device available that enabled a musician or music student to practice the skill of fingering the neck. Additionally, it would also be desirable if a device were available to allow a musician to warm up his hand in anticipation of actual guitar playing.
A disadvantage with practicing on a stringed instrument or a prior art practice device, is that they can be cumbersome, unportable, and relatively large to use in a small space. Another disadvantage is that some practice devices are made out of an inexpensive plastic material, which may feel toy-like to the user. Some practice devices do not have strings, they are used to practice finger placement without strings, thus they do not allow for the development and maintaining of calluses on the fingers of guitar players.
Accordingly there is a need for a stringed practice device that overcomes these and other disadvantages.